I Didn't Install HP TouchpointAnalyticsClient and It's Causing CPU 95-98 Red

[45RPM]

I have now found a bit of information via googling "hp Touchpoint Analytics".

It's worth checking out this: 

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/663012/hp-touchpoint-analytics-bundled-with-latest-batch-o...

These links don't provide an answer.  However, it is interesting to note that more people are confused.

This forum is normally smarter in providing answers; I am surprised the techies have not responded.

[krzemien]

Few others spotted it on Win7 machines:

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/29069929/What-is-HP-Touchpoint-Analytics.html

[Drake42]

This CPU gobbling nonsense also cropped up on my desktop machine in the past few days - I noticed the fan was constantly running and looked to see what was causing the load on my system.

What is this garbage HP, and why did you install it on our computers?

[Drake42]

Not just my desktop as it turns out - this thing loaded onto my laptop as well, where it similarly churned thru the CPU cycles - and the laptop has precious few to spare.

Are you guys intentionally trying to sabotage our computers?

[krzemien]

Now that we gained some publicity (thanks Born!):

http://borncity.com/win/2017/11/27/hp-installs-secretly-hp-touchpoint-analytics-client-telemetry-cli...

perhaps this issue will attract some attention. And formal response, with clarifications.

EDIT TO ADD:

Follow-up on Ghacks.net:

https://www.ghacks.net/2017/11/27/hp-installing-hp-touchpoint-analytics-client-telemetry-service/

Woody also picked this subject up now:

https://www.askwoody.com/2017/hp-is-installing-new-spyware-hp-touchpoint-analytics-client-but-the-in...

@HP, where art thou?

[Jayapp]

I noticed my mouse lagging significantly on Chrome, went to Programs & Features in Control Panel on my Windows 7 HP desktop and saw this "HP Touchpoint Analytics Client" was installed on my PC without my permission on on 11-17-17. 

I disabled it using the instructions on:

https://www.ghacks.net/2017/11/27/hp-installing-hp-touchpoint-analytics-client-telemetry-service/

My question is - should I also uninstall it via Control Panel? If I do, will it just reinstall itself (again without my permission) on some future date, like most viruses do?

Yes, to me this is a virus. According to Webopedia, "A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes."

https://www.webopedia.com/TERM/V/virus.html

I'm tired of all this data collection and disregard for privacy. If I look at a hammer on a website, all of the sudden everywhere I go - Facebook, Amazon, Ebay, You Tube, even my cell phone apps  - knows I looked at a hammer and wants me to click on their ad to buy one. And all the while, I didn't want a hammer - I wanted to get hammered after my PC was running so slow.

I'm an old guy so I think maybe I'll just go back to using a typewriter. Then I can burn the ribbons when I am done - which is lots of fun, by the way.

[ididnotdoit88]

Is it safe to remove is it linked to anything inportant/Is it malicious? I thought i had a bitcoin miner on my computer but I now have reason to belive that this is the cause for the hight in GPU and CPU useage.

[PipingRockIT]

Between this and the HP Support Assistant spamming SNMP broadcasts I am getting fed up with HP. I am the systems admin at my company and we have been using HP company wide for years (over 200 laptops and desktops), but between these to issues I may begin evaluation other options.

HP, one more strike and your out.

[basinhe]

This bit of spyware has basically hogged my PC, using most of the memory and disk space. It only started a week or two ago and am really annoyed. I will be deleting it, but am extremely annoyed that hp have infected my machine with this.

[krzemien]

According to Engadget, HP has now responded:

HP Touchpoint Analytics is a service we have offered since 2014 as part of HP Support Assistant. It anonymously collects diagnostic information about hardware performance. No data is shared with HP unless access is expressly granted. Customers can opt-out or uninstall the service at any time.

HP Touchpoint Analytics was recently updated and there were no changes to privacy settings as part of this update. We take customer privacy very seriously and act in accordance with a strict policy, available here.

I remain somewhat unconvinced with the above as I was never really asked to opt in in the first place? And equally said 'no' in HPSA when I was asked about sharing my software / hardware usage with HP either (there is an option in settings) when I used HPSA for the first time.